News

Director Zack Snyder has posted the first image of Ben Affleck as Batman ahead of his role in the forthcoming Batman Vs Superman. As reported, Snyder teased fans via Twitter (May 12) with a glimpse of the Batmobile covered in a tarpaulin sheet. Writing underneath the picture, the director said: “Could be time to pull the tarp…Tomorrow?” He then followed that up with not only a picture of the vehicle but one with Affleck stood next to it.

As confirmed earlier this year, Hans Zimmer is set to compose the soundtrack for Batman Vs Superman, which will see Henry Cavill reprise his role as Superman and Ben Affleck step into Bruce Wayne’s alter ego. Jeremy Irons will also star in the film, while The Social Network actor Jesse Eisenberg has been given the task of playing iconic villain Lex Luthor.

It was recently revealed that Batman Vs Superman has been delayed by 10 months and will now open on May 6, 2016 to “allow the filmmakers time to realise fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story”. The film was originally slated for a Summer 2015 release. (via NME)

Director Sam Mendes has discussed his plans for the new James Bond film, due for release in 2015. The long awaited sequel to Skyfall will again feature Daniel Craig in the iconic role and director Mendes has said that the next film will follow on from where that movie ended. In fact, it was the chance to finish what he started that led him to sign on for another installment.

“I started a number of stories that were incomplete. I cast a new M, I cast a new Moneypenny, I cast a new Q (Ben Wishaw), I cast a new Tanner,” Mendes told The Charlie Rose Show. “There was a missing piece now. I felt like there was a way to create the second part of a two-part story.”

Mendes continued, picking the elements of Skyfall he is particularly proud of: “What we tried to do, and audiences seemed to embrace in Skyfall, was that for the first time characters were allowed to age, and they were allowed to acknowledge the passing of the years, and were allowed to acknowledge the history – in a kind of sly, mischievous way – the history of the franchise that they’ve been part of.”

Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have set a release date of October 23, 2015 for the next film in the series, with Skyfall co-writer John Logan on board again to pen the screenplay. Though the forthcoming film will be Craig’s fourth appearance as 007, he’ll still trail Roger Moore, who starred in seven Bond films between 1973 and 1985, and Sean Connery, who notched up six Bond appearances between 1962 and 1971. Pierce Brosnan has also played Bond four times, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2002. (via NME)

A report on Australian radio station 6PR has sparked rumours that AC/DC are set to retire from music. The station reported today (April 15) that the band would be calling it a day due to the ill health of one of their members. That member is said to be rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, according to The Guardian. An anonymous source only known as ‘Thunderstruck’ told 6PR: “I have extremely good contacts in Europe that are very close to AC/DC. I have it on very good authority that one of the band members is quite ill and has returned to Australia with his family.”

He continued: “AC/DC members have previously made a pact that no band members will be replaced should someone need to leave the band. No more is currently being said, however the particularly ill member of AC/DC’s son has stated that AC/DC may well be over.” The retirement rumours were contradicted by reports in The Australian newspaper saying that AC/DC have studio time booked in Vancouver from May 1.

A spokesperson for the band declined to comment on the rumours to NME. Earlier this year, the band were talking about recording a new album and playing an extensive tour, revealing plans to enter the studio later this year in order to record their first new album since 2008’s Brendan O’Brien-produced ‘Black Ice’. Speaking to Florida radio station Gater 98.7 in February, frontman Brian Johnson said the band would be heading to a Vancouver studio in May to record their 16th studio album.

Of a proposed anniversary tour, he added: “Its been 40 years of the band’s existence. So I think we’re gonna try to do 40 gigs, 40 shows, to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. I mean, honestly, our fans are just the best in the world, and we appreciate every one of them. So, like I said, we’ll have to go out, even though we’re getting a bit long in the tooth. You know what? It’s been four years, and I’m really looking forward to it.” (via NME)

Black Flag co-founder Greg Ginn has filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates for alleged copyright infringement. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ginn believes the band FLAG, consisting of Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Chuck Dukowski and Bill Stevenson, infringe on the Black Flag rights owned by him and his label SST Records. Henry Rollins, a former member of the legendary punk outfit, who is in neither of the two touring Black Flag reunion groups, is also named in the suit. Ginn claims he and his label SST Records own the exclusive rights to the Black Flag Name – and FLAG variation – and the band’s iconic logo, which Flag currently use on tour. Ginn issued the lawsuit on Friday (August 2) and is seeking an injunction against Flag’s current tour, which kicked off in May and will see the band, pending the outcome of the lawsuit, play Los Angeles’ FYF Fest on August 24.

The suit describes the alleged infringement of the logo and describes FLAG as “as “a colorable imitation” that’s “likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception among consumers”. Ginn alleges his former bandmates “of lying to the Trademark Office on registrations; using his own label’s record covers to feign as though they’ve been continuing to use Black Flag since 1979 and using bootleg SST t-shirts.” Ginn’s Black Flag are currently touring and play Universum in Stuttgart, Germany tomorrow night (August 5). (via NME)

The countdown on Pearl Jam’s website has finally hit zero and with it comes news that the band will release their 10th studio album, Lightning Bolt, on October 15th. Helmed by the band’s longtime producer Brendan O’Brien (who’s also worked with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Audioslave and the Gaslight Anthem), Lighting Bolt follows up the band’s last effort, 2009’s Backspacer. Preceding the album announcement, Pearl Jam revealed a 24-date North American trek: the first leg kicks off in Pittsburgh on October 11th and will wrap up in New Orleans with their previously announced headlining slot at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience. Leg two begins November 15th in Dallas and ends with a Seattle homecoming on December 6th. Tickets go on sale July 26th. (via Rolling Stone Magazine)

Pixies have unveiled ‘Bagboy’, their first new song in nine years. ‘Bagboy’ can be downloaded for free from Pixies’ official website by submitting an email address. It’s the band’s first new track since 2004’s ‘Bam Thwok’, which was released exclusively through iTunes. Earlier this month (June), it was confirmed that bassist Kim Deal had quit the Pixies. After splitting in 1993, the band reformed in 2004 and toured their 1989 album ‘Doolittle’ between 2009 and 2011 with Deal. They haven’t toured since. (via NME)

Queens Of The Stone Age have premiered yet another animated video for a song that features on their forthcoming new album, ‘…Like Clockwork’. The apocalyptic promo clip for ‘My God Is The Sun’ was the very first track to be revealed from the band’s sixth album, after being played live at Lollapalooza Brazil in March. The video again features artwork by UK artist Boneface and animation from Liam Brazier. It follows similar videos for tracks ‘If I Had A Tail’, ‘Keep Your Eyes Peeled’, ‘I Appear Missing’ and Kalopsia’.’…Like Clockwork’ is due out on June 3.

The album is made up of 10 tracks and was produced by frontman Josh Homme and the band at Pink Duck in Burbank, California. It was recorded by Mark Rankin with additional engineering by Justin Smith. It contains a list of guest stars, including Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, Dave Grohl, Elton John, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters. (via NME)